Piano sounding board assembly

ABSTRACT

There is described a piano sounding board assembly whereby the vibration from the bass bridge may be effectively transmitted and distributed to the open area of the sounding board and the tonal qualities in the bass range may be improved to a considerable extent, the sounding board assembly incorporating a connecting plate member adapted for directly interconnecting the bass and treble bridges on one side of the sounding board.

I United States Patent [1 1 3,674,908 Ludemann July 4, 1972 [54] PIANOSOUNDING BO ARI) ASSEMBLY Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson AssistantExaminer-Lawrence R. Franklin [72] Inventor" Ludemann Hamburg GermanyAttorney-Curt M. Avery, Arthur E. Wilfond, Herbert L. [73] Assignee:Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, Lerner and Donald TickHamamatsu-shi, Japan [22] Filed: April 26, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [2]] Appl.No 137,465

There IS described a piano sounding board assembly whereby the vibrationfrom the bass bridge may be effectively trans- [30] Forelgll Appl allPl'lol'lly mitted and distributed to the open area of the sounding boardAug. 28, 1970 Japan ..45/74936 and the tonal q alities in the bass rangemay be improved to a considerable extent, the sounding board assemblyincorporat- [52] US. Cl ..84/212 ing a connecting plate member adaptedfor directly intercon- [51] Int. Cl ..G10c 3/04 necting the bass andtreble bridges on one side of the sounding [58] Field of Search..84/192, 209, 212 board,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Clams 2 'gures 88,7494/1869 Steinway ..84/2l2 2,200,913 5/1940 Bronson ..84/212 PATENTEDJUL 41972 FIG] Kl/l/ ////l l// PIANO SOUNDING BOARD ASSEMBLY This inventionrelates to an improvement in a piano sounding board assembly and moreparticularly to an interconnecting assembly of bridges and a soundingboard, it being the purpose of the invention to develop tonal quality inthe bass range together with overall tonal amplification in a soundingboard.

Usually, a sounding board for pianos is provided on one face thereofwith a lengthy treble bridge and a relatively short bass bridge. It hasbeen the conventional practice to glue the bass bridge to the soundingboard separately from the treble bridge in such a manner that the bassbridge also glued to the sounding board is disposed by the side of thetreble bridge along the length thereof and in spaced relationshiptherewith. Such sounding board construction results in undue increase inrigidity in those portions of the sounding board to which the bass andtreble bridges are glued and has a drawback that the treble bridge tendsto block even distribution or transmission to the sounding board of thevibration from the bass bridge. It will thus be understood that with thesounding board construction mentioned above a difircultyis encounteredin obtaining bass tones which are satisfactory in volume and in lowerharmonies or overtones.

More recent prior art proposes to connect one of the ends of the trebleand bass bridges with the use of a rod member secured to the back sideof the sounding board, thereby to permit the vibration from the bassbridge to be distributed to the open area of the sounding board throughthe connecting rod member and the treble bridge. This sounding boardconstruction might succeed in overcoming the above noted difficulty tosome extent; however, it is not satisfactory in that the vibration fromthe bass bridge cannot be effectively propelled through the treblebridge which is connected to the bass bridge simply at one end thereofand, to a further disadvantage, connected indirectly by means of aconnecting rod member which is mounted on the back side of the soundingboard.

It is therefore the primary object of the invention to provide asounding board assembly which will result in improved tonal qualities inthe bass range, and wherein bass tones rich in lower harmonics orovertones are obtained through direct and ample connection between thetreble and bass bridges so as to permit of the bass tones beingeffectively transmitted to the sounding board through the treble bridge.In order to achieve this end, the connection between the treble and bassbridges is made to propel the vibration from the bass bridge out intothe open area of the sounding board through the treble bridge. This, ofcourse, effects an improvement in the bass tones of the sounding board,and therefore of the piano and results in efficient bass tonedistribution.

According to the invention, there is provided a piano sounding boardassembly comprising a sounding board, an elongated treble bridge memberglued to one face of the sounding board and extending substantiallydiagonally of the sounding board, a bass bridge member disposed inspaced relationship with said treble bridge member, a connecting platemember directly interconnecting the treble and bass bridges, and asupporting member secured to the face of the sounding board andsupporting the connecting plate member.

The principal feature of the invention resides in the provision of theconnecting plate member establishing an ample connection between thebass and treble bridges. The plate member has a substantial area andtherefore serves to efficiently transmit the vibration from the bassbridge to the sounding board and at the same time act as an auxiliarysounding board which plays a role to improve tone qualities in the bassrange through increase in lower hannonics or overtones.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will beapparent from the following description and appended claims, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings which show by way of examplea preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic plan view of a piano sounding board assemblyembodying the instant invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale andtaken along the section line II II of FIG. 1 (ribs omitted).

Referring to the drawing, the sounding board assembly of the inventionis designated by the reference numeral 1 and shown as being employed ina grand concert piano. Indicated at 2 are a series of sounding boardreinforcing rib members which are secured to the back side or face ofthe sounding board and are arranged in side by side relationship witheach other. A long treble bridge, on which treble and intermediate pianostrings are stretched, is glued to the top face of the sounding board 1.The treble bridge 3 is disposed substantially diagonally of the soundingboard 1 and has end portions secured to one longitudinal edge of aconnecting plate member 5. This connecting plate member 5 has agenerally rectangular shape and extends in parallelly spacedrelationship with the top face of the sounding board 1. On the otherlongitudinal edge of the connecting plate member 5, there is supported arelatively short bass bridge 4 on which bass piano strings arestretched. The bass bridge 4 is in overlapping relationship with theconnecting plate member 5 over the entire length thereof. The bassbridge 4 is thus spaced apart from the sounding board 1. In theembodiment shown in the drawing, the connecting plate member 5 issecurely anchored in the treble bridge 3 in such a manner that thelongitudinal edge of the connecting member 5 is fitted into an elongatedgroove formed in the side wall of the bridge 3 facing the bass bridgemember 4. The connecting plate member 5 is glued to and supported on anelongated rod member 6 which is secured by gluing to the top face of thesounding board 1 and extended intermediate between the two longitudinaledges of the connecting plate member 5. In other words, the supportingrod member 6 is disposed in a position between the bass and treblebridges.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that, according to theinvention, the bass bridge 4 is connected over the entire length thereofto the longer treble bridge 3 by means of the connecting plate member 5so that the vibration from the bass bridge 4 may be effectivelytransmitted and distributed to the sounding board through the connectingplate member 5 and treble bridge 3. Thus, by the structure of thepresent invention, vibrational area of the bass tones may be increasedand it will be made possible to obtain improved tonal qualities in thebass range and rich in lower harmonics or overtones. As mentionedhereinabove, the connecting plate member has a substantial area whichserves to act as an auxiliary sounding board and, therefore, contributesto enhancing the tonal qualities in the bass range as well as amplifyingoverall tones of the piano.

It will also be appreciated that the sounding board assembly of thisinvention may be likewise applied to an upright piano, and that thespecific structural details herein shown and described are by way ofillustration only, and that various changes and modifications instructure are possible and form a part of this invention insofar as theyfall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A piano sounding board assembly, comprising a sounding board, anelongated treble bridge member secured to one face of said soundingboard and extending substantially diagonally of said sounding board, abass bridge member disposed in spaced relationship with said treblebridge member, a connecting plate member directly connecting said bassand treble bridge members, supporting means secured to the face of saidsounding board and supporting said connecting plate member.

2. A piano sounding board assembly as defined in claim I, wherein saidconnecting plate member is spaced apart from said sounding board by saidsupporting means, and said has bridge member is secured on top of saidconnecting plate member spacedly from said sounding board.

3. A piano sounding board assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein saidbass bridge member is secured on said connecting plate member andextended over substantially the entire length of said connecting platemember.

wherein said connecting plate member presents a substantiallyrectangular shape and has its one longitudinal edge securely anchored insaid treble bridge member, and said has bridge member is securelysupported over the entire length thereof on the other longitudinal edgeof said connecting plate member.

8. A piano sounding board assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein saidconnecting plate member has a substantial area acting as an auxiliarysounding board.

1. A piano sounding board assembly, comprising a sounding board, anelongated treble bridge member secured to one face of said soundingboard and extending substantially diagonally of said sounding board, abass bridge member disposed in spaced relationship with said treblebridge member, a connecting plate member directly connecting said bassand treble bridge members, supporting means secured to the face of saidsounding board and supporting said connecting plate member.
 2. A pianosounding board assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said connectingplate member is spaced apart from said sounding board by said supportingmeans, and said bass bridge member is secured on top of said connectingplate member spacedly from said sounding board.
 3. A piano soundingboard assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said bass bridge member issecured on said connecting plate member and extended over substantiallythe entire length of said connecting plate member.
 4. A piano soundingboard assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said supporting means isdisposed intermediate between said bass and treble bridge members.
 5. Apiano sounding board assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein saidsupporting means is disposed intermediate between said treble and bassbridge members.
 6. A piano sounding board assembly as defined in claim1, wherein said supporting means is a rod-like member extending alongsaid bridge members.
 7. A piano sounding board assembly as defined inclaim 1, wherein said connecting plate member presents a substantiallyrectangular shape and has its one longitudinal edge securely anchored insaid treble bridge member, and said bass bridge member is securelysupported over the entire length thereof on the other longitudinal edgeof said connecting plate member.
 8. A piano sounding board assembly asdefined in claim 7, wherein said connecting plate member has asubstantial area acting as an auxiliary sounding board.